Mistakes
by hiei1317
Summary: What happens when you make a mistake as a CSI going after a killer? Well, this is one thing...


a/n: hello there! This is a short one-shot that I worked on after my exams the past two days, and I'm already planning one that I can work on tomorrow since it's the last day tomorrow! Yay to last day of exams!!! This is a fic about what happens when you make a mistake as a CSI. No death, but there is a bit of a Stella/Mac relationship going on.

Disclaimer: don't own CSI NY! Darn it!!!!

He walked into his office after another long day. For him, his job is murder, literally! Rape, to be exact, or at least that's what it had been today.

Rape, suicide, murder, it was all the same procedure, all the same thing, all a crime. He knows his job is to find the people responsible and stop them, but some days he just wishes for a break.

This case had been a lot harder than normal. When they, that is him and Stella, got to the scene, Stella had nearly fainted. When he asked if she was okay she simply nodded 'yes'.

He was to later find out that Stella knew the woman, and that the woman and Stella had once been close friends. He insisted that Stella switch to a different case, but she refused, and when he ordered her to change cases, she disobeyed. She almost got killed for it, along with him.

When they had gotten to the killer's house earlier that day Stella went off alone in one direction, unbeknownst to everyone else. The next thing that Mac remembers is hearing the click of a revolver being cocked, and turning to see the killer holding a gun to Stella's head.

When Mac went to lift his own weapon the killer backed off a step, pointed his gun at Mac, and commanded, "Drop the weapon."

When Mac didn't listen at first the killer shot a bullet two inches from the side of Mac's head, then quickly reloaded. The killer's voice was more desperate when he tried to speak again, "Put the gun down! NOW!"

With shaking hands Mac had obeyed, and gently placed the gun on the floor.

"Step back," the killer gestured for him to step toward the wall that his threat bullet had hit.

Mac, again, did as he was told. After that the gun was back to Stella's head, pressed right against her temple.

What the killer didn't realize was that there was an armed officer right behind him.

All Mac was thinking was about getting the gun away from Stella so the cop could make his move.

Gathering all the strength he had left in him he took a step forward and heard what he wanted to hear: a bullet slammed into the floor, centimeters from his foot, as the hard wood floor erupted with wood chips.

When Mac looked up the officer had gotten the killer to let go of Stella and drop the gun. Immediately Stella ran over to Mac and hugged him, and he hugged her back, as she cried on his shoulder.

And now he finds himself in his office, reflecting on the incident.

Mac sighs, burying his head into his hands. He tries to forget what happened, but every time he closes his eyes he sees her face, and the killer's gun pointed at him.

All of a sudden someone pounding on the door breaks him from his thoughts.

He raises his head, regains what little composure he can, and answers, "It's open."

It's Stella who walks in. Of all the people he expected to see there, she was the most surprising.

He starts to stand up, but Stella quickly counters, motioning for him to stay seated. He looks at her with a questioning glance, then turns away, finding a strange and sudden interest with a pen on his desk. As she does so an uneasy silence fills the room.

She closes the door and then stops, not moving at all, simply staring at Mac.

He looks up, realizes how stupid and impolite he must seem, and quickly offers, "Please, take a seat."

She walks over to the seat across from him. The only thing separating them is Mac's desk now.

He realizes watching her that her movements seem jerky, as if she were unsure of where her feet were taking her.

There's more silence, this time to be broken by Stella, "I wanted to apologize."

"What?" his surprise shows well in his voice and face, "Stella, why?"

"If it weren't for me none of that… that… _horrible_ thing would have happened," she doesn't need to clear up what she's talking about, Mac knows.

He stands up and moves to her side swiftly, then kneels down beside her; "It wasn't your fault."

His attempt at reassurance fails, "You know it is! If I had been less arrogant, if I had been more careful, then that _killer_ wouldn't have even had the _chance_ to try and take one of us."

He's close to tears now, "Stella, I don't care if you make mistakes, you're lucky that you didn't pay for them. I make mista--"

"You don't pay if you make a mistake, Mac!" she interrupts.

"Is that what's bothering you?" his voice is soft as he gently puts his hand on her shoulder.

She sits there, staring at him for a very long time, looking into his eyes and seeing only compassion and understanding. She breaks her gaze, finding it too hard to bear. She finally shakes her head 'no'.

"Then what is it?" he gently pushes.

"You were almost killed, Mac, you were almost killed because of me," she looks back to him and she's crying.

He pulls her into a tight embrace, and she holds onto him, her body shaking as she sobs.

She finds her voice enough to say, "I would have never forgiven myself," before she's too choked up to speak. All she does now is hold him, as if holding him will keep him with her forever.

He silently hushes her and whispers in her ear, "I will never leave you." And Mac Taylor always keeps his promises.

a/n: please review!!!


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